Nintendojo Jukebox: Snowbelle City (Pokémon X and Y)

While most Pokémon fans are still soaking up the sun-drenched climes of the Alola region, we’d like to transport you across the Pokéglobe for a moment to the distant region of Kalos, the setting of the series’ previous installments, Pokémon X and Y. Unlike the tropical isles of Alola, which have been not-so-subtly modeled after Hawaii, Kalos was inspired primarily by France and encompasses a more varied range of climates as a result, from the Mediterranean beauty of Shalour City to the perpetual winter of Snowbelle, the source of this week’s musical selection.

Snowbelle isn’t the first city in the Pokémon world to be wracked with unending snow; that distinction would go to Sinnoh’s Snowpoint, which features its own appropriately frigid theme. But where Snowpoint’s music emphasizes the sparseness of winter, Snowbelle’s celebrates its beauty, beginning as a simple waltz before the drums kick in and the melody is taken up by the brass section. Not only is it one of the more beautiful themes in the Pokémon series, it serves as a fitting metaphor for your journey, as your initial weariness gives way to determination when you spy Snowbelle City’s gym, the final obstacle standing in your way before you can challenge the Pokémon League and take your place as Champion.